Railroad-crossing gate



Jam 8 J. MORTKA RAILROAD CROSSING GATE 2 Sheeis-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 99,25

A TTORNE Y r m m u 5 5% Q R E Jan. 8,1924. mmo

J. MORTKA 4 RAILROAD CROSSING GATE .Filed Aug. 9, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2IN VEN TOR A TTORNE Y Patented Jan. 8, 1924.

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JOHAN MORTKA, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK.

RAILRbAD-CROSSING GATE.

Application filed August .9, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHAN MORTKA, a citizen of Poland, residing atPoughkee sic, in the county of Dutchess and State of ew York, haveinvented certain new. and useful Improvements in Railroad-CrossingGates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gates for railroad crossings which are adaptedto be operated by passing trains, the invention having for an objecttheprovision of a novel gate of this sort characterized by simpleconstruction.

For further comprehension of the invention, and ofthe objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the follow ing descriptionand accompanying drawings,

and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of theinvention are more particularly set forth. a

Fig. 1 of the drawings is aplan view showing my improved gate applied toa railroad crossing.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

F ig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail longitudinal sectipn showing one of thegate-bars and its operating means.

Fig. 5 is a detail transverse vertlcal sectional view showing the devicefor cutting out the gate operating means at certain times.

1' have here shown my improved gate applied to a'double track railroad,the respective pairs of rails being indicated at and 10. As here shown Iprovide two sets of gates which are operated respectively by oppositelytraveling trains. Each gate comprises a pair of co-operating bars 12which I are pivoted, to swing vertically parallel to the rails, on posts13. downwardly into suitable recesses 14 under a top facing plate 15level with the surface of the roadbed.

The gates are operated by means of sprocket chains 17 looped over uppersprocket wheels 18 mounted co-axially with the gatebars 12, and lowersprocket wheels mounted on stub-shafts 19 carried by the posts 13 in therecesses 14. The shafts 19 have other s rocket wheels fixed thereonwhich are connected by chains 20, 21' with sprocket wheels onstub-shafts 22, 23 suitably supported by bearings 24 above the plate 15.

Extending transversely under the track These posts extend- Serial No.656,581.

in vertical alinement with the. stub shafts 22, 23 are shafts 26, 27which are connected to the respective stub shafts by sprocket chains 28,29. Upon these shafts 26, 27 are large gears 30, 31 which are adapted tobe engaged by suitable elements carried by the train to rotate the saidshafts and so operate the gates. The respective bars of each gate areoperatively connected together by means of the crossed chains which arelooped over suitable sprocket wheels on the various stubshafts 19.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing there are a pair of the gears 31located between the rails on opposite sides of the crossing roadway, andthese gears are operatively connected to one set of gates, while thereis a pair of the gears 39 between the other rails 10 which areoperatively connected to the other set of gates. A train approaching thecrossing. in either direction will thus engage one of these gears and bymoving it, close one set of gates, and after passing the crossing willengage the other gear: and close the gates which it had previouslyopened.

In order to give a signal when a train is approaching I may provide apair of bells 40 whose hammers are mounted on levers 41 connected bymembers 42 with eccentrics such as 43 on shafts 44 on which are gears 45adapted to be engaged by the same or other device on train that engagesthe gears 30, 31.

As shown in detail in Fig. 4 each gate-bar may be arran ,ed to beoperated by the shifting of a weig t therein which is slidable in acavity 51in the bar and is formed with rack-teeth 52 which engage apinion 53 on the stub shaft 54 which carries the sprocket wheel overwhich the chain 17 is looped at its upper end. In this arrangement themovement of the gears 30, 31 b the train causes the weight 50 to shiftin te gate-bar and the latter to swing by gravity, it being understoodthat the gate does not open to vertical position and that it swingsfreely on the shaft, being stopped at the ends of its swing by pins 54on the post 13.

I may also provide a means to prevent the gate from swinging closed whenanyone is in a position under the gate-bars. To these ends a pair ofplates are positioned in the roadbed and are fixed on the upper ends ofrods such as 61 whose lower ends connect to hell crank levers such 62,which engage also clutch sleeves such as 655 feathered on the shafts 19,these clutch sleeves being adapted to engage clutch faces on sleeves 65surrounding the shafts '19. The plate 60 is returned to normal pcsitionwhen released by means of an expansion spring 67.

It is believed that the manner of operation of my improved gate will bereadily understood from the above description. When a train approachesthe crossing a suitable element, such a rack bar, on the train engagesand rotates one of the gears located in the roadbed, for instance thegear 30, imparting movement to one pair of the gate bars through themedium of the sprocket chains 28, 20, 17 and 33. When the train haspassed the crossing the other gear 30, at is operated and impartsclosing movement to the gate bars through the medium of the other set ofchains 28 and *20 and the same chains 17 and 33. A similar operaticn ofthe other pair of gate bars takes place when the gears 31 on I the othertrack are en aged by the train.

nasareo vertically swingable gate bar, a shiftable' weight therein, andmeans adapted for operation by a passing train to shift said weight andcause said gate to swing.

- 2. In a device of the class described, a

by a train and operatively connected to said pinion.

3. In a device of the class described, a set of gates, a pair of" gearsadapted tobe engaged and rotated by an element on a passing train, andoperative connections between said gears and gates, a pair of verticallymovable plates under each set of gates, clutch elements forming part ofthe said operative connections, and means whereby said clutch elementsare released when the said plates are depressed.

In testimony whereof I have a'flixed my signature.

JOIIAN MORTKA.

